Apple Affirms $95 Million Settlement in Siri Lawsuit Amid Privacy Issues

Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to resolve claims that Siri violated consumers’ privacy rights by listening in on them for more than ten years.

Despite its outward emphasis on safeguarding consumer privacy, Apple has agreed to a $95 million deal to end a lawsuit alleging that Siri, the company’s virtual assistant, was used to spy on users of iPhones and other devices.

A five-year legal battle over allegations that Apple secretly allowed Siri to record talks through its devices for the past ten years is about to come to an end with the proposed settlement, which was filed on Tuesday in a federal court in Oakland, California.

The lawsuit alleged that Siri recorded conversations and sometimes activated without the user’s request, which is usually the phrase “Hey, Siri.” Advertisers were purportedly given access to some of these recordings in order to enable consumer preference-based targeted marketing.

These accusations go counter to Apple’s long-standing assertions that customer privacy is protected, a principle that CEO Tim Cook has often defended as a “fundamental human right.”

Apple has accepted the terms of the settlement without acknowledging any wrongdoing; but, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White must still approve them. The anticipated date for a court hearing to evaluate the agreements is February 14 in Oakland.

Customers who possessed Siri-enabled Apple devices between September 17, 2014, and the end of 2023 will be entitled to submit claims under the settlement if it is authorized. Up to $20 per gadget, with a limit of five devices per claimant, may be awarded to qualified applicants. Depending on how many claims are filed, the final figure could change; court filings estimate that only 3% to 5% of eligible consumers will participate.

The settlement amount is a negligible fraction of the $705 billion in earnings that Apple is said to have made since 2014. Additionally, it is far less than the $1.5 billion the plaintiffs’ legal team had calculated Apple may be owed in the event that the case went to trial and the corporation was found guilty of wiretapping and violating privacy laws.

To pay for attorneys’ fees and other associated costs, the lawsuit’s attorneys may request up to $29.6 million from the settlement fund.